Blizzard’s gearing up for another epic gamescom this year! From August 5-9, we’ll be providing plenty of entertainment at our biggest booth to date in Hall 7 of the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.

Blizzard’s gearing up for another epic gamescom this year! From August 5-9, we’ll be providing plenty of entertainment at our biggest booth to date in Hall 7 of the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany.

The highlight of the show will happen on the Blizzard stage on Thursday, August 6 at 18:00 CEST, when we unveil the next expansion for World of Warcraft! Catch it in person or via live stream at www.blizzgc.com.

We’ll have four packed days of activities around all of our games. You can experience everything from competitive gameplay to developer signing sessions, from our famous costume and dance contests to live music—including a special performance from Video Games Live! There are prizes to be won in live quizzes each day, as well as our costume and dance contests. Want to show off your moves? Sign up at the booth! Be sure to check out the below tabs for all the game-specific activities, and visit the website for a full stage schedule.

Of course you’ll also get hands-on play time with our games. Hearthstone will be available on PC and tablet, including some new cards from the upcoming expansion, The Grand Tournament. You can battle it out in Heroes of the Storm, and try out Overwatch for the first time in Europe. Experience StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void and its new co-operative mode, Allied Commanders, and fight the formidable Iron Horde in World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor.

You’ll also have loads of photos opportunities at our booth, including statues and weapon props used in the upcoming Warcraft movie! Share your Blizzard at gamescom experience on social media using the #BlizzGC2015 hashtag, and your post may appear on our dedicated site.

To pick up a souvenir, including some exclusive items, stop by the Blizzard shop in Hall 5. Stay tuned for more details on the shop in the coming days.

And if you can’t be at gamescom in person, be sure to watch our live-streamed show each evening for exclusive content, developer interviews, and more. Tune in to www.blizzgc.com at 18:00 CEST Thursday-Saturday, and at 17:00 CEST on Sunday.

Fight against the formidable Iron Horde in World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor

See top guilds battling it out in live raids and racing through Challenge Mode dungeons

Show us your moves in the World of Warcraft dance contest

Representing the World of Warcraft development team: Executive Producer J. Allen Brack, Game Director Tom Chilton, Creative Director Alex Afrasiabi, and Lead Game Designer Ion Hazzikostas

See the next expansion unveiled on Thursday, August 6 at 18:00 CEST

Watch the live-streamed show on Sunday, August 9 at 17:00 CEST, featuring exclusive World of Warcraft content and developer interviews

Try out StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, with the new co-operative mode, Allied Commanders, playable for the first time

See pro players display their skills in show matches

Representing the StarCraft II development team: Senior Game Designer David Kim and Lead Game Producer Tim Morten

Watch the live-streamed show on Saturday, August 8 at 18:00 CEST, featuring exclusive Legacy of the Void content and developer interviews

Lead Character Artist Paul Warzecha will bring the world of Sanctuary to life with live 3D modelling exhibitions on our main stage

Play Hearthstone on PC and tablet, including some new cards from the upcoming expansion, The Grand Tournament

See some of your favorite Hearthstone personalities, including Kripparrian, sling cards in show matches at our booth

The Horadric Cube is one of the Diablo series’ most iconic items. But where did the Cube’s power originate? Today, we reveal its lineage as the upcoming 2.3.0 feature—Kanai’s Cube.

The Horadric Cube is one of the Diablo series’ most iconic items. Introduced in Diablo II, this quest item was an important part of the story and offered a slew of handy transmutation functions, from combining gems to upgrading items. But where did the Cube’s power originate? The Horadrim were vague when it came to the history of this powerful item. Today, we reveal its lineage as the upcoming 2.3.0 feature—Kanai’s Cube.

Lost and Forgotten

The precursor to the well-known Horadric Cube, Kanai’s Cube is a powerful artifact containing immeasurable transmutation power. Originally simply known as “the Cube,” the Horadrim created it as a tool to aid them in the Hunt for the Three. However, its creation was marred by dark methods and disastrous results, resulting in the order quickly determining that it was too dangerous for anyone to continue using. Creating the weaker Horadric Cube in its stead, they entrusted the first Cube to a secret organization of barbarians on Mount Arreat, who kept it safe from everyone, including the rest of their tribe.

Throughout the years, these barbarians served as guardians over the Cube, keeping it safe from prying eyes and those who would use its powers for evil. The last of these guardians, the great Chief Elder Kanai, perished when the demon lord Baal destroyed Sescheron during the events of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. The barbarians have always believed their warriors must be put to rest on the slopes of Mount Arreat but, after the destruction of the Worldstone and the mountain that housed it, Kanai’s spirit was unable to rest. Now doomed to stand eternal vigil over his home and greatest treasure, he awaits a powerful and honorable individual to whom he might pass on his task.

One insidious individual has once again found his way amongst the living (sort of) and would love to get his ethereal hands on the artifact his order so foolishly discarded. Of course, he knows only one such individual who might impress the mighty Kanai . . .

Power Untold

So what exactly is Kanai’s Cube going to do for your nephalem hero? The short answer is all the things. This is a huge new feature that will fundamentally change the way you look at an item when it drops. Think of it as the handyman’s (handynephalem’s?) tool for item customization. Not only does it add another layer of character power at your fingertips, but also introduces a structured collection element to the huge item game at the core of Diablo III.

One of the first, most frequent powers you’ll utilize is the ability to extract a Legendary power from an item. This will add the power to your collection list, a comprehensive history detailing the vast amount of powers you’ve amassed. This also allows your hero to equip a Legendary power without having the item equipped, clearing up your stash of all those items you’ve been keeping “just in case.” You’ll be able to equip one power each from three categories:

Weapons

Includes all main hand and off-hand items, including Shields, Mojos, Quivers, and the like

Characters may only equip powers from items that their class can normally equip. Powers are also extracted at their most potent value, making it a tough decision between equipping a well-rolled item or melting it down to utilize a maximized power. Powers can be extracted from any level Legendary. Finally, don’t worry if you get tired of a particular ability—you’ll be able to swap freely between the powers you’ve collected at any time by visiting Kanai’s Cube.

Let’s say you’ve hunted down that amazing Legendary that totally makes your build, but it’s rolled less than desirable. If only it had that missing stat, it would have been saved from Haedrig’s anvil. Maybe you regret an enchant you made or you wish that rare Furnace you found was Ancient. With a little effort and a lot of luck, you can rectify these situations. Kanai’s Cube will be able to reforge a Legendary, completely randomizing every roll on the item as though it had dropped brand-new and removing any existing enchants. This includes the chance to roll as Ancient, but be forewarned; if you choose to reforge an Ancient item, there’s no guarantee it will stay Ancient.

There are also several other quality of life functions Kanai’s Cube can perform, such as removing the level requirement from an item, converting gems and crafting materials from one type to another, and converting a set item to a different piece of that set. We’ll leave you to ponder the best ways to utilize these new features!

Not Just a Legend, But a Tribute

There is more to Kanai’s Cube than lore and functionality. While we always knew that we wanted to implement a form of the Horadric Cube into Diablo III, we never anticipated the events that would lead to it becoming Kanai’s Cube.

Kevin Kanai Griffith was a beloved member of the Blizzard family and a longtime Diablo fan. He joined Blizzard as an artist on the World of Warcraft team in 2005 and his work can be seen in the Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Mists of Pandaria expansions, as well as the World of Warcraft trading card game. As the Diablo III team came together, Kevin joined and made his mark on the original game, crafting a plethora of diverse and moody environments that you’re certain to recognize.

Kevin continued producing gorgeous environments and Diablo holiday art throughout the launch and beyond the release of Reaper of Souls. You might also remember him from footage of his Diableard being shaved live on stage at the 2011 launch of Diablo III, his Artist’s Stage Demo at BlizzCon 2013, or our second anniversary livestream. He was always an active member of the community both inside the company and out, whether it was by organizing weekly sketch groups, or encouraging his friends to team up and play games together. Kevin was an amazing mentor to everyone around him and a wonder to work with: you couldn’t help but get passionate and pumped about your job when he was in the room.

Tragedy struck in February of 2012 when Kevin was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer known as Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS). Kevin kept his spirits high throughout the grueling treatment process and continued to work on Diablo III as much as he was able, pioneering environmental features such as the weather and night/day cycles experienced in Adventure Mode. Though he fought valiantly, we lost our coworker and dear friend on October 17, 2014. His spirit and legacy will always live on in the many games he’s touched with his stunning art, as well as the hearts of every individual who had the honor of knowing him.

We miss you, Kevin. This Cube is for you.

Kanai’s Cube Calls…

Kanai’s Cube is a huge feature of Patch 2.3.0, set to change the foundation of Diablo III as we know it. We’re excited to share the intimate background behind this powerful system and in-game dedication to a man who was truly a king amongst mortals.

Which part of Kanai’s Cube has you the most stoked? What kind of Legendary powers are you looking forward to combining the most? Let us know in the comments or, if you haven’t already, hop onto our PTR today and give it a try! We can’t wait to hear your feedback.

It’s your last chance to enter our gamescom social media contest this week, and we want you to step out of game and show us how you’ve experienced Blizzard in real life!

Sometimes universes collide and we bring gaming culture to the real world. It’s your last chance to enter our gamescom social media contest this week, and we want you to step out of game and show us how you’ve experienced Blizzard in real life!

Share your photos and short videos (up to 15 seconds) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine (via Twitter) with the hashtags #BlizzardIRL and #BlizzGC2015. Be sure to use both! We’ll once again draw 45 winners at random to receive some awesome digital loot. The more you participate, the more chances you have to win!

You can check out submissions for the previous weeks’ hashtags, as well as contest rules and prize information, on www.blizzgc.com. Next week, we’ll reveal our top 10 entries from across all six weeks, and you’ll be able to vote for your favorites! Stay tuned for details.

We’d also like to congratulate the winners drawn from last week’s #Cute submissions! If you see your username below, you’ll soon receive a private message with details on your digital prize*.

@_Mr_Alex_S

@Alexleij

@Andramida8

@AvaSodaqvist

@chuvibaka

@DjabasA

@EnzoFath

@Faebelina

@frenone

@GanGanou

@huntielle

@ihab_bedadiDZ

@Ishleinareth

@JiezzyTweet

@Jose_P95

@KageSatsuki

@kelodin_jh

@kimsillynotes

@kwurky

@ladyxenu

@LenweSaralonde

@LOLctopus

@lYanril

@Madziorax

@misha_yenin

@mjazzbass

@MrAltair_twity

@Nerdacide

@Ofeegelia

@Psend12

@TownSavior

@Vigil_latte

@Vitalos1

@vsLexon

@warcraft_rynil

@Wotto_22

@WowKala

@Yggdmillennia

@ZakirSalimbaev

luciole38_chihuahua

manjabregendahl

monasdfgh

nereyrel

terror_wolf

xx_susis_xx

*Please note that certain digital prizes may not be redeemable in all regions.

The time has come again to let us know which class you want to see on the next Play Your Way Thursday livestream!

Every four weeks, we open the polls and invite the community to vote for their favorite Play Your Way player-submitted build. It’s that time again, and we’ve got a summary of the last four builds to refresh your memory before you cast your vote on who you’d like to see join us during our next live stream!

What Are We Voting On?

If you've never joined us for a Play Your Way feature or livestream, you’re in for a good time!

Every six weeks or so, we invite a build creator to join myself, one of our developers, and a prominent member of our community to hop online, play the game with us, and talk about their build in a casual setting. How do we select this lucky individual? By opening up the polls and letting you cast your vote, of course!

Week 1 - Drothvader's "Wrath of the Thundergod" Crusader

Delivering a flail to the face and bashing his shield to victory, Drothvader#1215 combined both aspects of the Roland's Legacy set together to create this fluid and devastating no-generator build. Adding a Lightning-flavored flair to this mix results in a flavorful take on a competitive build that feels like it has a bit of everything and is sure to only improve with age (and the upcoming addition of Kanai's Cube).

This truly melee Crusader build takes a little from column A, a little of column B, and then goes home with columns C through Z.

Week 2 – Corvid's "Bubble Trouble" Wizard

DelRasha might sound like a taco joint of some kind, but let me assure you that the only ground meat here will be what's left of your enemies when you're done with them. Corvid#2114 submitted his take on the crowd pleasing mix of Tal Rasha's Elements and Delsere's Magnum Opus in a build that's bubbly all over.

Orbs, bubbles, shields, and other generally round things are found all over this build.

Week 3 – Vash's "Chain Lightning" Demon Hunter

A shotgun to the face will ruin anyone's day, and Vash#1796 put together an Unhallowed Essence build that plays on that theme while tagging his enemies with various debuffs and slows. Playing off of the Odyssey's End power with Entangling Shot, this build will have you tagging and bagging your enemies long before they ever pose a threat.

Which of these builds have you given a try? Has one of these builds changed how you play your favorite class? Who would you like to see join us on stream? Tell us in the comments and don’t forget to cast your vote!

The polls are now open and will run to Monday, July 27 at 10 a.m. PDT. We’ll be taking a break next week before our next stream, but keep an eye on the front page for the poll results and livestream schedule the moment it’s available!

Have a great build you’d like to share with the rest of the community? Then send it to us using our handy-dandy webform and check our forum post for all the details on how to submit your feature!

Submissions for the BlizzCon 2015 Art, Movie, and Talent Contests are now closed. We’ve seen a lot of great entries, and we can’t wait to get the judging started.

Submissions for the BlizzCon 2015 Art, Movie, and Talent Contests are now closed. We’ve seen a lot of great entries, and we can’t wait to get the judging started.

We look forward to seeing you at BlizzCon 2015 in November, where we’ll reveal to the community our chosen winners. We want to wish everyone who entered the best of luck!

Like sand through the hourglass, time is running out to get your entries in for the Original Art Contest, Movie Contest, and Talent Contest. Head over to our Contest pages to submit your entry and learn more about the fabulous prizes you could win.

Don’t delay! The deadline to submit your entry for each contest is July 22, 2015.

Below you'll find the preliminary PTR patch notes for patch 2.3.0. Please note that this isn't the final version of the patch notes and that some changes may not be documented or described in full detail.

Last Updated: July 23.

Below you'll find the preliminary PTR patch notes for patch 2.3.0. Please note that this isn't the final version of the patch notes and that some changes may not be documented or described in full detail.

New Feature: The Ruins of Sescheron
The frozen wasteland that is the Ruins of Sescheron are now open for exploration! Filled with new enemies, traps, and environmental hazards, you'll be able to explore the region and learn more about what befell the barbarians of Mount Arreat. Explore the Immortal Throne and obtain the ultimate treasure: Kanai's Cube.

New Feature: Kanai's Cube
Kanai's Cube is a new artisan that offers a slew of new recipes to fully customize your items and catalogue your Legendary powers. Several recipes are available to players immediately upon acquiring Kanai's Cube:

Extract Legendary Power: Destroy an item to add its Legendary power to your catalogue of collected powers. Once a power has been extracted, it can be equipped to your character without the need to equip the item. Players may have one Weapon, one Armor, and one Jewelry power equipped at a time. Players may only equip powers from items that their characters can normally equip and use.

Reforge a Legendary Item: Completely re-rolls a Legendary item as though it had dropped for the first time. This includes any powers that may have been previously enchanted on the item. Note that reforged items may re-roll as either Ancient or non-Ancient, so reforge at your own discretion!

Upgrade Rare Item: Upgrades the quality of a level 70 Rare item to Legendary. This item will roll as a randomized Legendary that shares that item's equipment type.

New Feature: Season Journey
Each player approaches a new Season a little differently and we wanted to celebrate individual player successes. Beginning in Season 4, you'll be able to track your personal progress through the Season Journey interface.

A player's Season Journey is divided into chapters, each with their own descriptive goals and achievements. The further you advance in your Season Journey, the more difficult the milestones become and you'll find there are challenges for every level of player. Completing the highest level Tiers will unlock new portrait frame rewards to celebrate your accomplishments.

This feature will be available for testing once Season 4 begins on the PTR. To learn more about Season Journey, click here.

Now has an animation and summons the Shaman or Toad at your cursor location

The summoned Shaman now stands in the location where it was summoned

Summoned Shamans' cast range increased from 25 to 50 yards

Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%

Skill Rune - Angry Chicken

Damage type changed from Physical to Poison

Skill Rune - Hedge Magic

Damage type changed from Physical to Cold

Skill Rune - Jinx

Damage bonus increased from 10% to 30%

Damage type changed from Physical to Poison

Skill Rune - Toad of Hugeness

Has been redesigned

Every second for 5 seconds, the toad pulls in the farthest enemy within 45 yards, swallows him for 0.5 seconds, then spits him back out, leaving the enemy with a debuff that deals 750% weapon damage over 5 seconds and increases damage taken by 25%

Your Hex - Angry Chicken now lasts 15 seconds and movement speed as a chicken is increased by an additional 100%

Spirit of Arachyr

New Set

(2) Set Bonus

Summon a permanent Spider Queen who leaves behind webs that deal 1500%2500% weapon damage per second over 5 seconds and slows enemies. The Spider Queen is commanded to move to where you cast your Corpse Spiders.

(4) Set Bonus

Hex gains the effect of the Toad of Hugeness rune. While Toad of Hugeness is active, you take 40% reduced damage. After Toad of Hugeness finishes his meal, you will heal for 10% of your maximum Life per second for 10 seconds.

Sescheron now lies in ruins, but was once a living symbol of united Barbarian tribes. Learn more about these dangerous ruins here.

The wind blows frozen wisps off snowdrifts, where they’re caught in the decorated grooves of a cold, iron bridge leading to the broken gates of Sescheron. Where once the sights and sounds of a bustling city could be found, now there are only the distant howls of madmen, glimpses of hungry beasts prowling in shadows, and air thick with the palpable weight of shattered hope.

Behold, the Ruins of Sescheron:

The Glory of Past Sescheron

Sescheron was once a living symbol of united Barbarian tribes. Its gates guarded the lone path to Sanctuary’s most precious treasure, the Worldstone, and the Children of Bul-Kathos were tasked with defending those gates. They had done so unerringly for countless generations. It was believed that the city would never fall, and the people of the Northern Steppes would always stand vigilant. In its final days, Sescheron was ruled by Chief Elder Kanai, who was not only loved by the people, but being considered to sit upon the Immortal Throne. Such a high honor had only been bestowed upon two others in the past, including Bul-Kathos himself.

The Day All Hope Was Lost

To this day, all who dare enter the ruins are met with a gruesome reminder—some deeds are so evil that their stains never wash away. . . .

When Baal, the Lord of Destruction, marched an army of the Burning Hells upon Sescheron, he was met by a lone emissary who denied him passage. Infuriated, Baal took matters into his own hands, and summoned demonic forces to tear the emissary apart. The first blow of the battle had been struck, but more blood would spill before it was over.

Chief Elder Kanai and his people stood their ground against the impossible flood of Baal’s army with every fiber of their being. In the end, however, evil prevailed and the warriors of Sescheron fell. All that was left of the city after Baal’s passage was shattered ruins, the hopeless madness of a failed people, and the cold, empty shadows of a once mighty civilization.

Seek the Ruins and Recover the Cube

The Ruins of Sescheron can be found by opening the Act III Adventure Mode map, and selecting the newly added waypoint in the upper-right corner. Be sure to talk to Zoltun Kulle before you begin your quest to find Kanai’s Cube. A word of advice: Take great care when exploring these dangerous ruins, brave nephalem, for the only thing darker than the suffocating sorrow surrounding these ruins is the shroud of death that hangs over it.

If you’re a Witch Doctor that digs your DoTs, then you’re already familiar with the Raiment of the Jade Harvester set. In today’s Play Your Way build, MicroWaveCat#2473 ditches the 4 and 6-piece bonus and really lets the spirits guide his way.

If you’re a Witch Doctor that digs your DoTs, then you’re already familiar with the Raiment of the Jade Harvester set. In today’s Play Your Way build, MicroWaveCat#2473 ditches the 4 and 6-piece bonus and really lets the spirits guide his way.

About the Build:

Damage over time effects are one of those mechanics that, typically, are the type to pay off in the long run. The Raiment of the Jade Harvester set turns that concept on its head by effectively detonating those long debuffs into instantaneous effects. EU player MicroWaveCat#2473 focused on that first set bonus to capitalize on making Haunt devastatingly awesome.

Who ya gonna call? WITCH DOCTAH!

This singular focus on a damaging skill leaves a lot of room open for crowd control and utility abilities, ensuring MicroWaveCat keeps his enemies more than sufficiently at bay. It also makes for an easy to pick up and go kind of build that’s ideal for keeping a rapid pace, especially for speed-farming.

The Skills:

Your damage in this build will primarily come from repeated Haunt casts while other skills offer crowd control, damage boosts, and personal utility.

The Items:

One of the most appealing parts of MicroWaveCat’s build is the low barrier for entry. While you’ll want to gather a few more of the complementary items listed if you want to push it to the limits, there’s very little needed to get started.

The Tal Rasha's threw me off at first, but MicroWaveCat makes a good point on their inclusion for more Attack Speed.

Great in any speed farming build, as with rapid speed comes ease of maintaining this buff

Recommended Stats:

Attack Speed should be your primary offensive stat. The faster you’re attacking, the more often you will benefit from that 2-piece Raiment of the Jade Harvester bonus

The majority of this build’s damage is Cold, so +% bonus to Cold damage is a solid choice

Resource Cost Reduction can be helpful for maintaining constant Haunt casts, though isn’t as important when using Rush of Essence

Why We Like This Build:

The Haunting Spirits Witch Doctor is extremely versatile, and requires very little to get started. Simply picking up a couple pieces of Raiment of the Jade Harvester and stacking some Attack Speed is enough to get you started at 70 and into fast-moving bounty and Nephalem Rift farming. It scales reasonably well and offers substantial crowd control to combat the nastier situations that can arise in Greater Rifts. Overall, it makes for a great stepping stone to grow from for any budding young Witch Doctor.

It makes for a rather ghastly experience (for the demons, I mean).

Tell Us What You Think!

Are you a fan of Haunt or the Raiment of the Jade Harvester set? How does your build differ? Do you have any recommendations for MicroWaveCat? Let us know in the comments or send your build in and you might see yourself right here on the front page in the future!

That wraps up this round of Play Your Way. Next week, we’ll be opening up the polls for you to vote on the next guest for our upcoming livestream. See you then!

#BlizzGC2015: Show Us Your #Cute Side2015-07-20T14:00:00.000Z2015-07-20T15:36:49.074Z19829504

This week in our gamescom social media contest, we want you to show us the #Cute side of being a Blizzard gamer!

Blizzard’s worlds may be full of snarling orcs, vicious zerglings, and fire-spewing demons, but let’s not forget those fluffy bunnies and pudgy pandas. This week in our gamescom social media contest, we want you to show us the #Cuteside of being a Blizzard gamer!

As with previous weeks, share your cutest photos and short videos (up to 15 seconds) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine (via Twitter) using both hashtags:#Cute and #BlizzGC2015. We’ll draw 45 winners at random to receive some awesome digital prizes. You can submit as many entries as you like for more chances to win!

We’re only accepting submissions for the #Cutetheme this week, but you can check out the next and final weekly hashtag as well as contest rules and prize information on www.blizzgc.com.

We’d also like to say congratulations to the winners drawn from last week’s #Battle submissions! If you see your username below, you’ll soon receive a private message with details on your digital loot*.

@Alekseyka9

@femto88

@SssashaMoroz

@AllysonAlvesdaS

@GeorgeLeshiy

@tommylevi30

@AnthonyICosta

@giefca

@Ulqiori

@arkfiu

@huntielle

@Vitalos1

@gaztock

@IrinaSolodyuk

@VittoMagno

@bacje_los

@Ishleinareth

@WastedMurloc

@BaJITaZoR

@johnnie_159

@WowKala

@beausourire2315

@kelodin_jh

@ZabAsylum

@catzzye

@mooglestiltzkin

@ZakirSalimbaev

@Cebbude

@oneofflethal

@ZZillions

@chamallowlove

@SaleSlave

adjektiivi

@cirilito3

@SethNobody

annitafox

@Dantir972

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chiratcu

@dariobartoli94

@SjamkeGerber

paninaro_paxxo_

@dingl55

@SomaJszbernyi

tristan.mouliot

*Please note that certain digital prizes may not be redeemable in all regions.

Multishot is a great ability for obliterating your enemies, and it seems pretty straightforward to don the Unhallowed Essence set to make the best of it. In this edition of Play Your Way, Vash#1796 adds a flash of lightning to this shotgun-style gameplay.

Multishot is a great ability for obliterating your enemies, and it seems pretty straightforward to don the Unhallowed Essence set to make the best of it. In today's edition of Play Your Way, Vash#1796 adds a flash of lightning to this shotgun-style gameplay.

About the Build:

When the Unhallowed Essence set came together, we designed it to evoke the idea of wielding a medieval shotgun to mulch your foes with a satisfying spread. While any build using this set will evoke that feeling, there’s a certain level of twitchy, active gameplay that the shotgun theme evokes. Perhaps it’s the years of FPS gaming and the distant memories of opponents screaming “SHE FOUND THE SHOTGUN, RUN FOR IT,” that makes this play style so appealing. Or maybe it’s just the fact that melting faces with spread weapons is inherently fun.

It can't be just me, right?

I get really engaged in games that keep me active, on my feet, and constantly thinking. While there are plenty of more relaxing builds out there, it looks like Vash#1796 and I are on the same page this week. His Unhallowed Essence build naturally focuses on Multishot, as it’s designed to do, but adds a layer of complexity by incorporating Odyssey’s End and making his Entangling Shots nearly as important. Ensuring that you’re tagging all your enemies with its valuable buff can be challenging and that extra layer of gameplay makes this quite the enjoyable build.

The Skills:

Aside from your basic damage dealers, this build uses quite a few defensive and utility skills to enhance your damage and kiting ability.

Should you find you’re a bit too paper thin, this gem will help keep you in the action

Recommended Stats:

Maximum Discipline is an extraordinarily powerful secondary stat for the Unhallowed Essence set. More Discipline directly equals more power, so get to stacking this wherever you can!

Resource Cost Reduction is particularly helpful as Multishot can get very expensive. While you’ll still be trading off between Entangling Shot and Multishot casts, it’s still nice to be able to unload your heavier hitter more frequently.

As this is a Lightning-themed set, be sure to stack some +% Lightning damage to round out your stats.

Why We Like This Build:

The most appealing part of this build is how active it keeps you. Playing the Chain Lightning Demon Hunter requires careful consideration in your positioning, constant use of just about all your skills, and management of your resources to make sure you’re getting the most out of your various bonuses. Managing to put all that gameplay together in a way that’s thematic? GG, I’m sold.

Seriously though, if the zombie apocalypse is ever a thing, hand me a shotgun and we're good to go.

Tell Us What You Think!

How does your Demon Hunter decimate the demonic hordes? Are you a fan of the Unhallowed Essence set? Have you tried to emulate your favorite play style from a different genre of game by making a build in Diablo III? Let us know in the comments or send in your build! We’d love to check it out.

Next week, the Witch Doctor will be bringing us home for our last build in this round of Play Your Way. We’ll see you then!

The #Fun is over, and it’s time for a new #Battle to begin! This week in our gamescom social media contest, we want you to show us how you like to compete, both in game and out. Because the toughest battles don’t always happen in the arena… or do they?

Share your photos and short videos (up to 15 seconds) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine (via Twitter) using both hashtags: #Battle and #BlizzGC2015. We’ll draw 45 winners at random to receive digital prizes—so the more entries you submit, the more chances you have to win!

We’re only accepting submissions for the #Battle theme this week, but we have two more themes coming up. Check out the schedule of weekly hashtags as well as contest rules and prize information on www.blizzgc.com.

We’d also like to congratulate the winners drawn from last week’s #Fun entries! If you see your username below, you’ll soon receive a private message with details on your digital reward*.

@NarutoUchiwa07

@aingerutete

CatsUnitedGeneralul

@boe2BE

@Scarleterorr

@ebrahemalandija

@sunniestarc3

@Krazy_Fox

@Umnusman

seb_punk

@kornelp2100

@nozomiElpida

@alinasedai

@Rosalala

@JoJoPersonne

@Samysoyk

@Eon_Jack

@WhiteMurky

@Mlle_Viictoria

@farrrow38

@ItsMeKimchy

@RanchyAguirre

@CharlieOfWonder

@PEPEINXD

xdubstinx

@retroZap

@belindabartzner

@Zayriie

@Chafaso

@VironRagnaros

@MatoGamer29

@SjamkeGerber

@Suffotex

@ani_kaa

@Arinkisss

@lowenstine911

@MrPillenator

@Cookies1338

@nimoe_b

imopandiknowit

@WaRKaM62

@PhhotoMaster

@xxmnesia

@Zugaboom

monsterinstinct

*Please note that certain digital prizes may not be redeemable in all regions.